Kitchens are the chaos capital of most homes.  If your kitchen happens to have the most used entry into your house, the chaos doubles.  At the entry, there should be a storage unit that everyone in the home dumps their STUFF!!! A bench with hooks and baskets that allows us to put down our purses, bookbags, coats and shoes when we walk through the door.

For today’s kitchen there are tons of storage options that allows our countertops to be virtually clutter free.  Pretty canisters, hutches, an island with shelves, baskets and tubs let us keep our daily kitchen items out of site.  Color in the kitchen is a great influencer to how people feel in this room. Color can influence appetite, moods and how we enjoy the space.  I love bright, cheerful colors that allow everyone to enjoy this room we spend so much time in.  Yellows and reds are always a snappy choice for the entertaining, cooking, bill paying, and homework area of the home. Greens help to bring the outdoors in and ground the space with either white or stained cabinets. A touch of chocolate or black adds the contrast that can give this room a cozy Tuscan feel.

We must add lots of texture in this room to offset the hard surfaces and shiny metals.  An area rug under the table, scrumptious window treatments, seat cushions and a beautiful runner in front of the stove and sink, really help to warm up this multi-functional space.

When the love of cooking and each new cookbook starts to take over your kitchen, let the beautiful covers become artwork.  A baker’s rack can be configured to hold cookbooks, pottery, some family photos and you now have a great display space and easy access to the newest “Death by Chocolate Chip cookie” recipe.

Today’s kitchen is the heart of the home.  We entertain, cook, work and come together at the end of hard day to enjoy family and friends in this inviting space.

Happy Cooking!!!